1. MJK The Abbreviation & The Background

Originally, Jens Kruse was an engineer and worked as an electro technical advisor, primarily within construction. The 70’s, however, were hard on construction business in Denmark. Jens Kruse explains: ”I talked to a friend who felt that, if I should go somewhere in life, my business card should read “Sales…”. So I switched my career to being a sales-rep at Danish E. Eberhardt Co and within a short time, I felt, I had learned enough to start on my own. Hadsund wastewater plant in Jutland used slaked lime in their process. I had expert knowledge on controlling the slake process and that became my very first assignment."

During 1977, Jens Kruse teamed up with Finn Madsen, who constructed electrical panels and the electrician Morten Jensen, who initially provided work-space for the company. Soon, the company grew out of Jensens facilities and moved to Ishøj, a Copenhagen suburb. Morten Jensen was bought out in the early stages, but Jens and Finn felt that it was in place, and a bit funny, to keep Jensen as a part of the newly founded company name
MJK – Madsen, Jensen, Kruse.

Jens Kruse and his partner parted in 1979. Their views on strategy and focus were very different but they parted on good terms and Jens kept the company name. So since 1979, only the "K" was left in MJK Automation. It became Jens Kruse that would set the course which would create a company growing out of the workshop in Ishøj, and soon also out of the domicile in Nærum.

See the story as PDF and see one of the first brochures MJK created